The Stranger in You
by UnwrittenSonatas
Summary: 'I don't need you to tell me what I want. I know what I want and I want you'. Just when she had decided to create her own future, Destiny decided to unravel her own plans. And the future is caught between the past and the present. MarikOCAtem


**The Stranger in You**

_'I don't need you to tell me what I want. I know what I want and I want you'. Just when she had decided to create her own future, Destiny decided to unravel her own plans. Caught between the past and the present, her future may just have already been set in stone. MarikOCAtem_

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><p>Chapter One: The Point of Contact<p>

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><p>As an average family of four poured out of the taxi they had hired from their airport as they began to unload. A girl who in her late-teens stepped out of the car with her lips tightly pursed and her dark brown eyes unreadable as she strode to the trunk of the car and hauled her silver suitcase out of the trunk. Towing her suitcase along the path, she blew stray strands of her black hair around her face in annoyance as she hauled her silver suitcase up the stairs of her porch and then began tapping her foot while she waited for someone to unlock the door.<p>

'Honestly Erika, you couldn't wait to come back home when we were at the airport leaving a month ago and now you seem so irritated that we're back in Domino City, what is up with you?'

Biting the inside of her cheek, the girl stared determinedly away from her mother and at the windows as she waited. Skipping to her side, a younger boy with dark brown hair cheekily tugged at Erika's side ponytail.

'Hiro! You know better than to annoy your sister when she's so upset, stop that!'

'Yes, mother'

Hiro said cheerfully as he grabbed a suitcase that his father had just brought onto the porch. Holding in a deep breath, Erika charged into the house as soon as the door was unlocked and disappeared into her room. Leaving her suitcase by her door, she walked up to her yellow curtains and pulled them back, allowing the sunlight to strike the dust particles unsettled by the curtains as Erika leaned against the window frame.

Hiro poked his head in through the door before entering with a knowing look.

'You're thinking of him, aren't you?'

Reaching into her jacket pocket, Erika pulled out the card and closed her eyes.

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><p><em>A Month Ago…<em>

As Erika walked out of the hotel with her little brother, she placed her sunglasses on and sighed as Hiro ran ahead of her before stopping to urge her on, 'Come on Erika, I want to go look at the markets!'

Erika adjusted the bag strap of her on her left shoulder and looked forlornly at her messenger bag and its contents inside. 'How about we go into a café and soak up some of the atmosphere first, hmmmm?'

'No way, we'd be stuck there all day knowing you sis, you'd just sit there reading which ever book is in your bag - no way. Mum and dad said you had to make sure that I was having a good time and you were supposed to get out and have a look around!' Erika opened her mouth to protest. However, Hiro grabbed her hand and began to run 'Come on, let's go!'

Haggling had never been a strong point for either of the Saitou siblings. However in Egypt, both stuck out like a sore thumb due to their skin which was by far more fair than the locals'. Erika adjusted the brim of her recently purchased sunhat as she waited for her brother. Hiro was currently preoccupied in taking photos of the markets and the 'life around' as Hiro liked to state. Erika thought that perhaps she overindulged her brother, helping him with his homework, letting him run around free, learning to play his favourite game so that he could have fun and allowing him to take photo of her whenever he felt like it. Really, all she had wanted was to read -

'Erika! Come!'

Erika snapped her head towards her brother's voice and instantly cringed as the locals turned to stare at the small foreign boy yelling in Japanese at one of the rare stalls that weren't crowded. Oh, that boy was far too carefree, far too precocious. Walking up in a lethargic manner Erika straightened up as she approached the two men in purple cloaks with hoods over their head behind the stall. Hiro, however, didn't seem to notice the strange atmosphere.

'Look, Erika, it's that card you need! It's the Ritual of Grace card that you need for Northwemko!'

Erika had scarcely blinked in recognition before her brother was already pointing at the card, obviously intent on buying it. Sighing, she reached into her bag. Once her brother was that determined…she blinked as one of the hooded men walked into the tent behind them.

'Why's he going into the back? Do you think they have more cards back there? Hey sis, do you think they would have any other cards you'd need? I want some cards too! Do you think that we could stay for longer and -'

Erika blinked as s tall tanned boy stepped out of the tent in front of the other hooded man. Although around her age, this boy emanated an aura that demanded attention. His platinum blond hair fell around his shoulder at different lengths, contrasting beautifully against his flawless skin and highlighting the amethyst colour of his eyes. Whilst she had attended a high school with boys who were deemed quite the catch, Kaiba and Bakura didn't have anything over this exotic boy who -

'Hello.'

As Erika blinked a second time in surprise, while her more vocal brother yelped in delight.

'You speak Japanese!'

As if it was the most natural thing in the world, the boy gave a calm smile. 'Of course, we get a lot of Japanese tourists.'

From such a flawless accent, Erika doubted the veracity of the boy's words, however -

'My colleague informs me that you'd like to purchase the Ritual of Grace?'

'Yeah, my sister needs that card to summon -' 'Divine Grace Northwemko, right?' 'Yeah! Hey how did you know sir? You're smart'

The boy merely smiled again and Erika knew that if they had been in her class at the exact moment, the girls around her would've been squawking like seagulls.

'I'm sort of an expert when it comes to Duel Monsters. I hope you don't mind but we're a little unique here. We care a lot for all of these cards. If you want this card, I presume you'd have the other card already?'

'Yeah, she does! Once we get this card, sis can play it and become a really great duelist and maybe participate in tournaments and -'

'Hiro, that's enough' Erika gently scolded her younger brother before turning to the boy. 'Sorry, he gets very over-excited, How much for the card?'

The vendor shook his head with a slight smile.

'Like I said, we're quite unique. Price…isn't the issue. I'd like to see proof that you possess the other half of the card and the ability to…harness its strength, shall we say?'

Erika raised an eyebrow at the engima in front of her. 'You want to see my Divine Grace, Northwemko?'

'But sis left her cards in Japan!'

Spoilt brat, she thought as he jumped into his conversation again. Reaching into her bag, her hand felt around. Hiro looked at her in surprise.

'You brought your cards? Why?' Rather than answering, she pulled out her book and Hiro gave her an exasperated look.

'Sis, now is not the time to get some reading done - you need that card! You want that card! Focus -'

'Oh shut up for a minute will you?' she teased playfully as she flipped through the pages of her book, stopping at where she had last been reading and picked up her bookmark.

The boy raised an eyebrow 'You use such a rare card as a bookmark?'

Erika turned the card and her shoulders sagged slightly. 'I don't actually know which card I use as a bookmark, I don't really pay attention to it.'

Taking the card out of her hand, he examined the card and an unreadable expression appeared on his serene face. Erika watched, slightly entranced by how the sunlight seemed to catch the glint of his jewellery just at the right time

'It's not Northwemko but Ruin, Queen of Oblivion is quite rare as well. Would you be interested in End of the World?' 'Yes! She would! She definitely would!' Erika started slightly and flushed as she found the boy's strange amethyst eyes still fixed on her.

'I'm in need of that card as well, if you could spare it.'

Disappearing back with her card, Erika was almost scared that the boy would take it, steal it, hide it or…just do something to it. She really liked that card...She heard a short bark of orders in Arabic from before the boy appeared seconds later with a small smile and handed her two cards back. Her eyes lit up as she turned to him.

'Oh my god, how much is this?'

Smiling at her enigmatically again, the boy shook his head. 'Consider it a welcome gift.' Before she could speak, the boy raised his hands up to silence her and for some reason, Erika felt compelled to listen. 'If you have proof that you possess Divine Grace Northwemko, I'd be happy to also pass on Ritual of Grace'

Erika smiled and glanced at her brother 'Well it won't be too hard, they're actually at the hotel'

'What? You never told me! We could've played on the plane! You just wanted to read your book!' Hiro crossed his arms as he glared at his sister accusingly before he sighed. 'Oh well, come on, let's go back to the hotel and get your cards! Soon you'll be able to summon two more powerful cards!'

Turning around as she was dragged off, Erika called back.

'Wait, I'm Erika by the way.'

The boy gave her a smile and she wasn't quite sure what it was that caused her breath to catch in her throat. Probably just the sand or the heat as her brother tugged her further away.

'I'm Namu'

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><p>Stepping into the tent, Marik Ishtar turned to his brother.<p>

'Quite interesting. I thought that this journey would be useless but it has proven to be quite fruitful. Duellers quite stupidly let their guards down when they find a card they require. And it seems I've just met a girl with two quite rare cards.'

'Master, are you sure it was wise to give her End of the World?'

Marik chuckled lightly.

'Might as well let her cherish the feeling, we'll be taking both those cards from her soon. And perhaps even another card. I doubt she needs to be followed. She saw Ritual of Grace with her own eyes. And I doubt that little boy would let her leave the card here'

He pulled the tent flap open slightly again as he watched the girl follow her younger brother.

'Erika, huh?'

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><p>'Erika, honey, that hat looks absolutely wonderful on you.' Erika sat back in her seat as she gave a small sigh as she took in the scene from the bus. To be honest, she was a little disappointed that her parents had ambushed them at the hotel.<p>

'Mummm, why can't we please go back? I don't want to go on this tour!'

'Hiro, nonsense you can go back to the markets tomorrow, I'm sure they'll still be there.'

'But someone else might buy that card…or cards I might need…why didn't I buy some cards? This is so unfair -'

'Hiro, look, don't you want to take a photo of that?'

Erika pointed as they drove along the Nile. Relishing in the silence for a while, she closed her eyes, her parents wouldn't notice since she was wearing sunglasses…

'Hey, Mr Tour Guide! Who are those people with purple hoods! Hey Erika, they look like the guys from that stall!'

Huffing, she sat up straighter. With her brother around, she 'd never get any peace or quiet. What surprised her, was the nervous look on the tourguide's face when he saw the hooded men drive past.

'Those…Hiro-kun, it's best if you stay away from them.' 'Huh? Why?' 'Hiro-kun…you don't understand, they're Rare Hunters…they like collecting things…'

'What do they do? Oh goodness me, Hiro, tell me you didn't go up to them today.' As her mother fussed over her, Erika turned to their tour guide. 'What do they collect?'

Shuffling, he sighed. 'They…are involved in a lot of things that no one can prove. All the Rare Hunters have one common goal. They want to collect rare duel monsters cards. And they don't really have any problems resorting to dirty tactics. Sometimes people disappear. It's best not to get involved with them, Erika-chan'

Blinking, Erika pulled out her novel as she examined Ruin and End of the World. A sinking feeling formed in the pit of her stomach as she bit her lip. The men had looked so similar to those at the stall. A lot of people had avoided the stall, now that she thought about it. At first, she had thought the attention had been on Hiro's loud voice…But…

Erika looked through the window at the fading purple dots. 'Then why did Namu give me this card?'

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><p>AN: This was really a spontaneous burst of inspiration, please let me know what you think :)


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